Study supports teens' use of web social network

Published 12:00 am, Monday, May 24, 2010

"It's easier to keep up with" friends and family members who live out of town, according to Patrick, 18, who started a page on the social-networking website when she was 14. "If you're talking to them through e-mail or on the phone, you're not seeing their pictures and what's going on with them."

A study recently released by University of Virginia psychologist Amori Yee Mikami showed 13- and 14-year-olds who used social media websites like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter were more likely to retain positive relationships with their closest friends into their early 20s.

"(Having a Facebook page) breaks down some barriers and allows people to be more expressive," Wilson said. "You get to talk about your likes and dislikes and decorate your page. You can be creative and focus on you, rather than focusing on what people want you to be."